| Apoptosis | Necrosis |
| Physiological or pathological | Always pathological |
| Single cells | Sheets of cells |
| Energy dependent | Energy independent |
| Cell shrinkage | Cell swelling |
| Membrane integrity maintained | Membrane integrity lost |
| Role for mitochondria and cytochrome C | No role for mitochondria |
| No leak of lysosomal enzymes | Leak of lysosomal enzymes |
| Characteristic nuclear changes | Nuclei lost |
| Apoptotic bodies form | Do not form |
| DNA cleavage | No DNA cleavage |
| Activation of specific proteases | No activation |
| Regulatable process | Not regulated |
| Evolutionarily conserved | Not conserved |
| Dead cells ingested by neighbouring cells | Dead cells ingested by neutrophils and macrophages |